As the sun sets during Ramadan, families and friends gather to break their fast with Iftar, a meal that celebrates both tradition and togetherness. Sweet treats play a central role in Ramadan food, offering comfort, energy and joy after a day of fasting. From the crispy, syrup-soaked layers of knafeh to the creamy richness of phirni, these desserts reflect the cultural diversity and communal warmth of Ramadan meals. With influences spanning the Middle East, South Asia and beyond, these sweets cover the spectrum from light, airy pastries to creamy puddings.
This rich, textural Middle Eastern dessert is made with a shell of kataifi (string filo pastry), filled with soft cheese – in this case, mozzarella and ricotta, soaked in rosewater-infused sugar syrup, topped with pistachios. It’s crispy, gooey and a longstanding Ramadan favourite, especially in Levantine regions.
Knafeh Credit: Andrew Dorn
Popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Mediterranean, this dessert is simple and rewarding – you'll make a semolina cake with yoghurt and tahini, then finish it with a dousing of orange-blossom sugar syrup for a moist crumb and extra fragrance.
Basboosa Credit: Jiwon Kim
Whether served in pancake form or folded into dainty pockets, katayef (or qatayef) are filled with soft cheese and an assortment of Arabic flavours – in this recipe, dates, ricotta and lemon zest. Festive-looking – topped with pistachios and rose petals – and good to prepare in large batches, they’re perfect for gatherings such as Itfar.
Katayef with dates and ricotta. Credit: Huda AlSultan
Inside the fennel-accented semolina dough is an aromatic paste of dates, pistachios and orange blossom water. These decorative cookies are served during Ramadan due to the significance of dates in breaking the fast.
Credit: Tammi Kwok
Visually appealing, easy to share, and satisfying after a day of fasting, halawet el jibn (which translates to ‘sweetness of cheese’), are neat rolls of semolina mixed with mozzarella that are filled with a scented cream, garnished with crushed pistachios and drizzled with a rose or orange blossom water syrup to serve.
Credit: Racha Abou Alchamat
Deep-fried spirals of batter soaked in saffron sugar syrup have a wide appeal — crispy on the outside and syrupy-sweet inside, jalebi is a quick source of a sugar hit during Ramadan.
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Soft, syrup, and aromatic, these are a favourite at celebratory meals – especially in South Asian Iftar spreads. (If you are a little short on time, take a look at , made with dried milk powder).
Credit: Anchal Verma
Famously decadent, baklava serves layers of flaky filo and chopped nuts (often pistachios or walnuts) baked until golden and soaked in honey or sugar syrup. This sweetness makes it a particular treat during Ramadan.
Yiayia Marina's baklava Credit: Effi Tsoukatos
Comforting and gentle to digest, kheer is a milk pudding made with either rice, wheat, tapioca, vermicelli or sweet corn, as well as cardamom, dried fruit and nuts. Conveniently, it can be made ahead of time and served cold or warm. This version uses coconut milk to make it vegan friendly.
Kheer is a type of rice pudding. Credit: Asia Unplated with Diana Chan
Differing from a British bread pudding, this version uses filo pastry in place of bread, and infuses a bounty of Middle Eastern flavours – pistachios, rosewater, coconut. Its creamy sweetness offers comfort and nostalgia, making it a beloved part of Ramadan traditions.
Bite-sized, quick to make and perfect for sharing in a big family or community setting, loukoumades (known as lokma in Turkish, luqaimat in Arabic) are balls of dough deep-fried until golden then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Loukoumades Source: Supplied
Malabi (also muhallebi or mahallebi) is a silky, sweet milk pudding. This luxurious version is made with coconut milk, and is topped with pomegranate, pistachio, coconut and shaved halva.
Credit: Andrew Dorn
This chilled South Asian dessert not only brings a refreshing touch to an Iftar menu, but a decorative one, too – layers of pink-hued milk, ice cream, jelly and a garnish of rose petals and crushed pistachios.
Credit: Alicia Taylor
Phirni is a thick, silky and creamy milk pudding popular in India and the Middle East. It can be served warm or cold, and often appears at special occasions or religious festivals such as Ramadan. The varieties are endless, with popular flavours including almond, saffron, rose and mango — this decadent version combines white and milk chocolate with cardamon and strawberries.
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Carrot halwa is a popular variation on this traditional Indian sweet, but this version takes things one step further with the flavours of a carrot cake – a cinnamon walnut crumble – as well as a festive gold leaf garnish. Simple to prepare and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Credit: Andrew Dorn
